Taking Chances
by LovePeeta
Summary: It's two years after the war, and Ron & Hermione aren't the same. When Harry & Hermione are assigned to a dangerous case in Bristol, she isn't prepared for the ways in which her life is about to change. Harry/Hermione
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Harry Potter-related belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Harry Potter franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**A/N This is my first HP fanfic! The idea hit me, and I had to write it. It is Harry/Hermione, but the development will be slow because I don't think it would be realistic to throw them together. Reviews are welcome because I want to know what you think! :)**

"Bye, Hermione!" Ron said cheerfully as the screen door slammed shut behind him.

Hermione turned to give him a quick wave before realizing he had already disapparated. She sighed tiredly and gazed at the worn pages of her book once more. She was sitting at the faded blue kitchen table in the flat she shared with her boyfriend of two years. He used to stop and make a playful comment about the fact that she was always reading "those muggle books." Then he would kiss her on the forehead, tell her he loved her, and leave for work. These days, someone who didn't know either of them would assume they were siblings before lovers.

She gently placed her copy of _Wuthering Heights_ on the table and stared out the window. Letting out a soft sigh, she wondered what happened. After the war, she and Ron had been mad about each other. They were more than first loves. After dating for only a month, they moved in together simply because they couldn't stand to be apart. She didn't like living in such a rural area all that much. Like Harry, she would have preferred to get a flat in London. However, there weren't many things she wouldn't have given up for Ron. During that time, Hermione was the most irrational, illogical, and happy she had ever been before or since.

She stood up and placed her hands on either side of the kitchen sink, staring across the fields full of golden weeds swaying in the summer breeze. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when it had all changed. She honestly couldn't even remember when it all started. As any of their friends would readily admit, the two of them had always spent more time bickering than anything else. Then one day, out of nowhere, she saw him differently.

It was fourth year, and they had been sitting in the Great Hall just as they did every night for supper. One minute she was scowling at his sloppy eating habits and the next she was trying to hide the blush that was creeping across her face. Just like everything else in their relationship, the development of her feelings was sudden and completely inexplicable. Now she wasn't so sure she felt that same spark when she was with him anymore.

_Get a grip, Hermione. _She chastised herself as she ran her fingers through her long, brown curls. _You love Ron. _

But even as she thought the words, she wasn't entirely convinced they were true. Did she love Ron? Of course, she did. He and Harry had always been her best friends, and Ron had always been a little more than that. She had been so sure that she loved Ron when she was seventeen, but then there were a lot of things she had been sure of at seventeen.

For instance, she was sure she would never see her parents again after obliviating them for their own safety, but that proved to be false as she found them a year later and successfully removed the spell. She was sure Harry was going to have to die before Voldemort could be defeated. That situation had worked out much better than she anticipated as well. She was also sure, in the case that he did live, he and Ginny would have been married by now. The two of them did get together again, but their relationship fell apart no more than six months after the war when Harry turned to alcohol and Ginny couldn't handle the ways in which he had changed. He had gotten his life together since, but Ginny never could quite forgive him for all the nights she found him passed out in the Leaky Cauldron. None of their lives had turned out like they were supposed to.

Hermione jumped at the sound of a pop behind her. She placed her hand over her racing heart and laughed as she realized it was only her best friend standing on the other side of the kitchen.

"Harry, you shouldn't just pop in and out like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she cried.

"Sorry," Harry said. The amused smile on his face didn't make his apology sound very convincing.

Hermione laughed and motioned for Harry to take a seat.

"What brings you here anyway? Don't you have some kind of important auror work to do?" she asked teasingly.

"Lunch break," he said, holding up a small brown bag that she hadn't noticed before. "I thought I would drop in and say hello. I never see you anymore at the ministry."

He stared at her shrewdly. His statement was innocent enough, but she could detect his barely concealed question. It was true. She barely left her office most days and only came in when it was completely necessary. Even she knew that her behavior betrayed the fact that she had simply lost the eagerness and excitement she once felt for her job. Her S.P.E.W. campaign would have failed long ago if it weren't for her faithful assistant, Luna Lovegood.

"I've been busy," she said without meeting Harry's eyes. She stood up hastily and began preparing a sandwich. She hadn't even realized it was time for lunch.

"Busy with what?" he said, picking up the book which was flattened on the table. "Reading _Wuthering Heights_? Hermione, I know you've read this book at least a thousand times already."

She gave him an exasperated look and they both laughed.

"Fine, no questioning you about your books. I know," Harry said.

"It's about time you learned," she said.

Still laughing, she hit him on the arm playfully and fell into the chair next to him with one leg folded under the other. The two friends ate in silence for a moment before Harry asked, "Where's Ron?"

"You just missed him," she said, picking up half of her sandwich. "His lunch break ended just before you showed up."

"That's right," Harry said. "I keep forgetting he switched to eleven o'clock. How are you two by the way?"

Hermione choked on the bite she had just taken. "Excuse me?"

"Ron seems a little distracted lately, that's all." Harry said, looking as if he regretted asking.

"If Ron's distracted, it's not because of our… relationship." She stuttered on the last word before continuing. "Ron and I are perfectly fine."

"If you say so," Harry mumbled.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked, her brown eyes suddenly looking very accusatory.

"Merlin, Hermione. It was just an observation. I didn't say it meant anything." Harry said, his voice portraying his shock at her outburst.

"I know. I'm really very sorry, Harry," she said quickly, reaching out to touch his forearm. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I've just been thinking, and I don't know what's going on… and I don't know what he's thinking… then you said that…"

Harry moved his arm that she was still touching and took her small hand in both of his.

"Hermione, slow down. You know I can't understand a word you're saying when you take off like that."

She laughed and placed her head on the table, her face covered by both arms.

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore, Harry."

"Mumbling doesn't help either, you know," he said.

Her head shot up and she gave him a look that made him quickly throw his hands in the air.

"I was just kidding! I heard you!" he said quickly, so as to avoid anymore of her wrath. He had long been aware of her short-temper. However, she only laughed at his expression.

He took her light response as a good sign and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Hermione chewed the corner of her lip, a nervous habit she had been doing a lot lately. She wasn't sure if she should voice her concerns to Harry or not. He was Ron's best friend as well as hers, and he might feel obligated to tell him what Hermione was thinking. Before she could decide on a course of action, he said, "You don't have to, but Ron is worried about you."

"Ron is worried about me?" she asked, her voice full of surprise. "Why is he worried? I've done everything like normal. I've gone to work, packed his lunch in the mornings, kept up with the laundry…"

"It's nothing like that," Harry said reassuringly. "He says you've been really distant lately. Like you aren't really there even though… you are."

Hermione laughed. "He's always had such a way with words, hasn't he?"

"Indeed," Harry said, laughing as well. "But really, Hermione, I'm your best friend. I can tell when something is wrong."

"You're right," she sighed, giving up. "Something is bothering me. But you can't tell Ron!"

Harry laughed at her quick outburst that was accompanied by her finger pointing just inches from his face.

"Alright, alright," he said. "Your secret is safe with me. Now what is it?"

She stopped, not really sure how to put her thoughts into words. "I just feel… differently than I used to. Like there used to be something wonderful and now it's only good. Don't get me wrong! There's nothing bad about good, but it's just not… wonderful, you know?"

Harry said, "I'm not really following you, Hermione. Honestly, you're making about as much sense as Ron right now."

"Our relationship, Harry! Me and Ron!" she practically shouted, not understanding why he hadn't made the connection.

"Oh, I see," he said, though he still seemed a little confused. "So what you're saying is, you don't feel the same about Ron as you used to?"

"Well, when you say it like that it sounds quite harsh," Hermione said, chewing on her lip again. "I don't mean that I don't still care for him. I just don't feel as strongly for him as I used to, and I don't think he does either."

"Go on," Harry said, knowing she wasn't quite finished.

"It's just that we couldn't stand to be apart before, and everything was perfect. Now we act more like we used to back at Hogwarts."

"You mean you nearly tear each other's heads off at the drop of a hat?" Harry asked.

Hermione laughed. "Maybe not exactly like we did at Hogwarts. We are still nice to each other, but we used to be more than nice. We used to be in love! Now I find myself reading and wishing I had a great love like Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet or Heathcliff and Catherine."

She stopped, realizing that Harry had no idea who she was referring to. "Didn't you ever read Jane Austen or Emily Brontë, Harry?"

"Not really," he said. "But back to you and Ron, I think I get what you are saying. We were all so young and forced to grow up so quickly when Voldemort was defeated. We made a lot of decisions that have mostly proved to have been impulsive. I'm not saying you and Ron aren't meant to be together, but maybe you should consider the idea that your love for Ron was nothing more than friendship amplified by the extreme circumstances we were in. Obviously, Ginny and I weren't meant to last. Maybe you've outgrown your relationship with Ron as well."

Hermione stared at him in awe. "I never knew you were so insightful, Harry."

He feigned a hurt expression. "I'm wounded, Hermione! I can't believe you think so little of me!"

She laughed, and said "You know what I mean."

"I do," he said, looking at his watch. "I'm sorry, I have to get back to work. It was really great talking to you, Hermione. Good luck with Ron."

She stood up and embraced him. "Oh, thank you Harry. You've been very helpful."

He returned her hug and said, "Anytime."

Before he could disapparate, she called, "Have a nice day at work!"

He smiled and waved before spinning on the spot and disappearing. Hermione walked back to the table and sat down with a sigh. She certainly had a lot to think about, and she knew she had to do it before Ron returned because they needed to talk.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Harry Potter-related belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Harry Potter franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**A/N Thank you pawsrule and OliverWoodLuvr for the reviews! You have no idea how much they brighten my day. Just so you know, my musical inspiration for this chapter was Starts With Goodbye by Carrie Underwood. I think it characterizes how Hermione feels pretty well.**

Hermione had been pacing the living room floor for at least fifteen minutes when Ron finally materialized on the patio and entered the kitchen. She froze for a split second before rushing to sit down on the couch. Ron was pilfering through the kitchen, undoubtedly looking for something to eat. Softly, she called, "Ron, would you come in here please?"

"Are we eating out tonight?" he asked, confusion spread across his face.

"No," Hermione said, laughing despite herself.

He hadn't really changed all that much from their school days. However, he had gained enough insight into Hermione's mind to know something was different.

"What's going on?" he said with a much more serious tone.

"Can you sit down please?" she asked politely.

He gave her a puzzled look but sat down next to her on the couch.

"Blimey, Hermione, you're shaking. Just spit it out!" he said.

She took a deep breath. "Do you remember when I went to Australia to find my parents?"

"Yeah," he said. "What about it?"

"I almost didn't go," she said. "Do you know why?"

He shook his head.

"Because I didn't want to be away from you for that long," she said.

He laughed and said, "You were only gone for a week!"

"Exactly," she said. He stared at her, still uncomprehending what she meant. She continued, "And what about how we moved in together after one month? Why did we do that, Ron?"

"I don't know," he said, scratching his head. "Because we wanted to be together?"

"Yes," she exclaimed. "We wanted to be together so badly that nothing else in the world mattered! We lost sleep because we would stay up all night talking about our dreams! When was the last time we did that?"

Ron stared at her. He was dumbstruck after her speech. Sensing that he finally understood what she was getting at, Hermione leaned forward and took his hand.

"I care about you a lot, Ron, and I know you care about me too. We just aren't the same people we used to be. I was talking to Harry earlier and…"

"What were you doing telling all this to Harry?" Ron asked, anger flaring up in his blue eyes.

"I wasn't telling Harry anything!" Hermione said, shocked by his abrupt change. "He asked what was wrong because, as our best friend, he could tell something wasn't right!"

"Well," Ron scowled. "What exactly did our best friend have to say?"

"It doesn't matter what Harry said, Ron. We were very young when we got together. We truly believed we were in love, but I think maybe we rushed into things too quickly after the war. I'm beginning to think we fell in love with our friendship and all the excitement but not each other."

Her tone was still amicable, but she was noticeably annoyed by Ron's quick jealousy about Harry. It was exactly how he used to react when he thought she was choosing Harry over him back in seventh year. Ron's expression had gone cold, but the stare he gave her revealed the hurt behind his eyes. He took some time before speaking again.

"You aren't making sense, Hermione. Are you saying you don't love me anymore?"

Hermione made a choking sound and raised her hand to her mouth. "No, Ron! That's not it at all. I only feel like we love each other differently than we used to."

He directed his gaze to their entwined hands on the couch between them. "So what do you want to do about it?"

Hermione took a deep breath. This was the part she had been dreading the most, but she knew her next words were necessary.

"I think we need some time apart. I'm going to stay with my parents for awhile until we can figure out where we stand. Ron, are you okay?"

His face had turned bright red, and he was squeezing Hermione's hand tighter than before. Finally, he let go of her hand and looked her right in the eyes. "Do what you have to do, Hermione."

With that one sentence, he stood up and walked into the kitchen. Hermione brought her hand up to cover her mouth once more and stifled the cry threatening to escape her throat. She wanted to run to him and say she hadn't meant a word of it. However, she knew deep down that would be a lie. Instead, she went to their bedroom and picked up the bags she had packed that afternoon after Harry left. She took one last glance around the room, wiping away a tear as she noticed the pictures of her, Ron, and Harry smiling back at Hogwarts and the more recent ones of her and Ron hugging and laughing. She sighed and left the room before more tears could escape her eyes. When she reached the kitchen, Ron didn't turn to face her. He simply stared straight ahead through the same window Hermione had stood in front of earlier that day.

"Goodbye, Ron," she said, her voice breaking.

He didn't turn around. She started to disapparate to her parents' house, but she knew in the last second where she needed to go instead. So she turned quickly and left the flat behind. Moments later, she landed with a thud and nearly lost her balance due to the bags on her arms. Hermione looked around and took in her surroundings. She stood in the hallway just inside the familiar flat.

"Harry?" she called.

She heard footsteps shuffling down the stairs and watched as Harry made his way into the living room. He stopped in the doorway and said, "Hermione, is that you?"

Unable to hold back any longer, she dropped her bags and ran to him. Burying her face in his shoulder, she burst into tears.

"I did it," she gasped between sobs. "I did it, and he hates me. Oh Harry, what if I was wrong?"

He wrapped his arms around her and began to rub her back soothingly. Hermione noticed his embrace was much stronger than she remembered. It was nice. She felt as if he were holding her together.

"Ron doesn't hate you, Hermione," Harry said. "He couldn't. He just needs some time. He'll come around."

She stood up again and sniffled as she tried to stop crying. "Thank you, Harry. I just feel so awful for hurting him. You should have seen his face."

She stifled another sob as she recalled the cold expression Ron had worn. She looked at Harry and saw that he was giving her a peculiar expression.

"What?" she asked, her voice rough.

"Nothing," he said. "I've just never seen you so… broken."

"I'm sorry," she began immediately. She should have known better than to bother Harry with her petty problems. How many people would she hurt in one day? "I shouldn't have come here. I'll leave now. My parents are expecting me."

She started to leave, but Harry caught her hand. "Wait, Hermione! I didn't mean that you should leave. You should stay for awhile, if you want to of course."

She nodded her head. "I would like that."

"Great," Harry said. "Why don't you go lay down and I'll fix us something for dinner?"

"Okay," she said numbly. She started to pick up her bags, but Harry beat her to them and carried them into the guest bedroom. She followed behind him and smiled gratefully as he placed them next to the door.

"Thank you for everything, Harry," she said.

"You're welcome, Hermione. Now get some rest."

He smiled and closed the door softly behind him. Hermione flung herself on the white bed unceremoniously and wrapped the comforter around her still-shivering body. Before she even realized it, she had drifted off to sleep.

After what felt like five minutes, Hermione woke from a fitful sleep. Not wanting to be alone after the nightmare she had, she stood up quickly and made her way down the hallway. She found Harry lounging on the couch with several papers scattered around him.

"Look who finally decided to wake up!" Harry said.

"Finally?" she said. "How long was I asleep?"

"Around two hours," Harry said. "I thought about waking you, but I figured you needed the rest."

"Two hours?" Hermione cried. "You should have woke me up, Harry! I'm so sorry."

Harry laughed. "You've got to stop apologizing, Hermione. It's no big deal, really."

"Okay," she said, still feeling guilty.

"I fixed some dinner," he said, pointing behind him in the general direction of the kitchen. "Yours is in the microwave if you want to warm it up. I didn't think you would mind if I ate without you."

"Of course not," she said, opening the microwave to find a plate of grilled chicken and a fluffy roll. "It is your house, after all."

"I can fix more if you're still hungry," he offered.

"No, this is perfect," she said. She set the timer and started the microwave. Before she realized it, she was laughing.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

Hermione said, "I can't even remember the last time I used a microwave! Ron always insists that magic is much more efficient."

Harry laughed. "He's probably right about that, but old habits die hard I guess."

"I guess so," she said.

Hermione jumped as the microwave beeped and removed her food.

"There's butterbeer in the fridge," Harry said. "Or firewhiskey, if you would prefer something a little stronger."

"Thanks" she said, pulling a bottle of butterbeer out of the fridge and sitting down at the table. After a bit of silence in which Hermione finished her dinner and Harry studied the paperwork, he turned around again to face her.

"So, uh, do you want to talk about what happened with Ron?" he asked uncertainly.

Hermione swallowed the last drop of her butterbeer and circled around the couch to sit next to Harry. She inhaled sharply, and said, "I told him how I felt and that we needed some time apart."

"And what happened after that?"

"Nothing," Hermione said, staring at the floor.

"Nothing?" Harry asked incredulously.

"He said, 'Do what you have to do.' Then I left."

Harry moved the papers that were between them and moved closer to her. "He's just hurt, that's all. He'll realize you did the right thing after he's had some time to think it over."

Hermione wrapped her arms around herself. She said, "I hope so."

Harry patted her leg. "Trust me, everything will be fine."

She straightened up and looked around at the pile of papers now sitting on the coffee table. She asked, "What are you working on?"

"Can't tell you," he grinned. "Top secret Auror stuff."

Hermione laughed. "Doesn't working for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement entitle me to some of your top secret information?"

"Actually, it does in this case," Harry said. "I wasn't supposed to tell, but you'll find out in tomorrow's meeting anyway."

He handed her a piece of paper and watched as her eyes carefully scanned the page.

**Unknown Use of Illegal Magic**

The Ministry of Magic detected the use of the cruciatus curse, a known unforgivable curse, in a muggle village in Bristol on July 15 at approximately 18:45. The witch or wizard who performed the curse was unidentifiable. He or she is thought to be older than seventeen and therefore untraceable. Local muggle newspapers have reported the incident as a break-in with no stolen items but homeowners who were "shaken." Measures have been taken to obliviate any memories of the use of magic the muggles may have had.

"That's terrible!" Hermione gasped. "July 15 was only a couple of weeks ago!"

"I know," Harry said, taking the paper from her. "That's only the first one. There have been five more uses of the curse detected since then."

Hermione stared at him with an appalled look on her face. "And no one has done anything to stop it? This person is clearly enjoying himself by torturing those poor muggles!"

"It's not that easy," Harry said. "There were a lot of things to be taken care of first."

"And when will those things be done?" she asked. "After the sixth person is attacked? Or maybe the fifteenth?"

"Calm down, Hermione," Harry said. "The Ministry is prepared to send someone to Bristol within the next two days. That's why there is a departmental meeting tomorrow morning."

"Okay," she said, calming down a little. "Who are they sending?"

"Well," Harry said. "There will be a team of Aurors along with a representative from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I recommended you for the job."

Hermione stared at him in shock. "You… recommended me?"

Harry nodded.

"But why?" she asked. "There are much more qualified people who work in my department. Susan, for example. She has worked at the Ministry for twenty-five years! She…"

"Hermione!" Harry practically yelled over her hurried rant. "Would you stop second guessing yourself? There's a reason you've always been called the brightest witch of our age. You're more than qualified for the job. Besides, I figured you could use the time away."

She blushed at his compliment and sighed. "I suppose you're right. We'll just have to see how the meeting goes tomorrow."

"Right," Harry said. "Besides, I happen to be among the Aurors who will be traveling to Bristol, and I would rather have you for company than Susan. I'm sure she's a lovely person and all, but…"

Hermione cut him off. "You're going?"

He nodded. "That's really great," she beamed. "It would be fun to be working together again!"

Harry smiled, "We do make a great team."

Hermione looked at the clock on the wall. "It's getting rather late. I should probably go on to my parents' house before they get worried."

"Okay," Harry said, standing as she retrieved her bags from the guest room and met him in the kitchen.

"Thanks again," Hermione said. "I know I kind of barged into tonight. It was really rude of me."

Harry pulled her into a hug. "It wasn't rude at all," he said. "You're welcome here any time."

She smiled and said, "See you tomorrow?"

He nodded and she waved goodbye as she disapparated to her parents' house.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Harry Potter-related belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Harry Potter franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

Hermione waved to a friend from the Department of Mysteries as she stepped out of the green flames of the floo and into the busy Ministry. She hurried into the lift and waited until she heard the voice say, "Department of Magical Law Enforcement". Stepping around the rest of the people, she hoisted her purse on her shoulder and made her way straight to the bathroom. She stopped in front of the mirror, glad that no one else seemed to be in the room, and stared at her reflection. Her eyes were definitely still red and puffy, but she hoped anyone who noticed might mistake it for allergies. She really didn't want to explain to anyone why she had been up all night crying.

Giving her complexion one last look, she sighed. Ron was going to be at the meeting today, as all the Aurors would be in attendance. She knew it was childish, but she didn't want to see him yet. She remembered with relief that Harry would be there as well. She felt terrible about putting him between his two friends, but she was glad he at least understood her reasons for leaving Ron. She applied a bit more concealer and checked her reflection once more before deciding she had done all she could do to disguise the dark circles. Unable to avoid her office any longer, she left and made her way down the long, white corridor. When she stopped in front of her door, she noticed that the door next to hers was open. Peeking her head around the corner, she said, "Good morning, Luna!"

The blonde witch slowly lifted her head and, in a dreamy voice, said, "Oh, hello, Hermione."

Hermione entered her office and sat down behind her wooden desk. Looking at the disarray in which everything had been left, she sighed. Her preoccupation with her relationship with Ron had really gone too far. Just as she had finished organizing the last stack of papers, she looked up to see Luna standing in the doorway.

"Would you like to come in, Luna?" Hermione asked. "We need to discuss the elfish wages bill if you have a minute."

Luna entered the room and sat in the chair on the other side of the desk. Instead of speaking, however, she studied Hermione curiously. Hermione, feeling uncomfortable after a few seconds of Luna's staring, cleared her throat. "Is something wrong?"

"Not necessarily," Luna said vaguely. "You look as if you have been crying. Although it could have been the zarkles. I thought I spotted some in your office the other day. They're very bad this time of year, you know."

Hermione, long used to Luna's strange conjectures, nodded. "That must be it."

Luna continued to stare at her. "No, on second thought, I don't think that's it at all. You seem sad as well. Zarkles don't affect your actual emotions."

Hermione sighed. She knew from experience the only way to make Luna stop talking was to tell her the truth. "Ron and I broke up. Don't mention it to anyone else, though, because I don't want the whole office questioning me or him."

"I won't tell anyone," Luna said. "That is really unfortunate, but I can't say I'm surprised."

Hermione snapped her head up to look at Luna. "Why would you say that?"

As if it were something that should have been completely obvious, Luna said, "You've been unhappy for awhile."

Hermione stared at her in awe. She sometimes forgot about Luna's uncanny ability to know exactly what was going on and to say it, even when it might not be tactful. It got on Hermione's nerves back at Hogwarts, but she was able to tolerate Luna's strange behavior most of the time now. Still, it could be a little unnerving. Deciding it was best to change the subject, she picked up one of the stacks of papers and set it in front of Luna.

"These are the amendments that need to be made to the bill. Can you type these up for me and send me a copy before you owl it to the minister?" Hermione asked.

Luna nodded and took the papers. As she started to leave, she turned a few paces from Hermione's desk. "You shouldn't worry about Ron. You will both be happy again soon."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you, Luna."

Shaking her head, Hermione directed her attention back to the many files on her desk. Just as she was halfway through the stack of underage magic violations, there was a knock at her door. She looked up to see one of her co-workers standing there.

"The departmental meeting starts in five minutes. You looked a little busy, so I thought I would remind you."

"Oh, thank you, Aaron," she said, addressing the man standing in the hallway. "I had completely forgotten. I'll be there in just a minute!"

Hermione hadn't forgotten, of course. It was all she had thought of since her conversation with Luna. The more she considered the idea of getting away from London, the more she found herself hoping Harry's recommendation to Kingsley Shacklebolt had carried some weight. If she had to continue working so closely to Ron, she would surely go mad before too long. With those thoughts clouding her mind, she eagerly made her way through the crowded hallways and into the room where her entire department, along with all of the available Aurors, were seated. Scanning the room, she caught a glimpse of red and spotted Ron immediately. He met her eyes and looked away. Sighing deeply, she turned and walked the other direction. She was about to look for an empty seat when she heard someone call out her name. Looking around quickly, she saw Harry approaching her.

"Good morning, Hermione!" Harry said, giving her a quick hug.

"Good morning, Harry," she smiled.

He looked at her, his hands still on her shoulders, and raised an eyebrow. She smiled, "I'm fine, Harry. Really."

"Whatever you say," he said. Looking over her shoulder, his face suddenly became confused.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, turning to follow his gaze. When she spotted the source of his confusion, her tone dropped considerably. "Oh."

"'Oh?'" Harry said. "I'm assuming that means you know why Ron looks as if he wants to hex me?"

Hermione bit the corner of her lip. "I wasn't going to tell you, but I mentioned that I spoke to you about our situation and…"

"And he didn't take it well?" Harry guessed.

"Right," Hermione said.

"Well, I'm not going to turn my back on you just because the two of you had a row. I thought he would know that by now," Harry said, his voice irritable.

Hermione smiled softly. "He does know that, but you know he's always been jealous of our friendship. Just try not to provoke him. He could use a friend now too."

"I'll do my best, but I wouldn't count on him wanting my help," Harry said. "I've got to go before we get started. Talk to you later?"

Hermione nodded. Harry gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before walking back to the group of Aurors in the front. As Hermione took her seat, she reluctantly looked in the direction of Ron's red hair once again and saw him stand up and move to a chair further down the row when Harry tried to sit next to him. Harry turned around and gave Hermione a look that she took to mean, "I told you so." She shook her head and mouthed, "I'm sorry!"

Before she could worry about Ron's behavior anymore, an average-sized man with short dark brown hair took the stage. Hermione recognized him as Lucas Dennison, head of the Aurors. He pointed his wand at his throat to make his voice louder over the large group and the meeting began. Even though she already knew most of the information thanks to Harry, she listened and took meticulous notes as he informed the rest of the group about the attacks in Bristol. By the time he was finished, she had filled nearly 10 inches of parchment.

"As you know, cases like these warrant a local investigation in the area the crime occurred."

Hermione took a deep breath. _This is it_, she thought.

"A team of Aurors has already been assembled. The presence of a member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is needed as well. The Minister of Magic, after careful review, has assigned Hermione Granger to the case."

Hermione jumped at the sound of her name and met Harry's eyes instinctively. He was smiling widely as he gave her a discreet thumbs-up. Lucas continued to speak, and Hermione turned her head quickly to listen.

"Ms. Granger, you should stay for a few moments after the meeting for further debriefing. As for the rest of you, there will be plenty of work to be done here at the Ministry. Thank you for your time. You may go back to work now."

Lucas stepped down, and Hermione was out of her seat in a heartbeat and rushing to the front of the room. She ran straight to Harry, and he caught her in a hug just as he had the day she returned from her extended stay in the hospital wing during second year.

"I don't know why you are so suprised! You're the most brilliant witch in the entire Ministry." he said.

She could feel her cheeks warming and laughed as she realized she was blushing. "Thank you, Harry, but I really don't think it would have happened without you putting in a good word for me."

"Nonsense," he said. "Kingsley told me he had already decided to send you."

She hit him on the arm, causing him to exclaim, "Ouch, Hermione! What was that for?"

"I don't believe you!" she cried. "You could have mentioned that last night! I was hoping against hope that I would get it, and you knew all along!"

"I wasn't supposed to tell you about any of it in the first place, remember?" Harry said. He then gave a Malfoy-worthy smirk before asking, "You're really that excited about spending all that time with me?"

"Oh yes," she laughed. "It's all I've thought about."

Hermione suddenly realized she was supposed to be mad at him and adopted a serious expression once again.

"You still should have told me."

Harry laughed, not affected by her tone in the slightest. "You're just as stubborn as ever."

She only replied with a glare and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Okay," Harry said, doing a rather bad job of suppressing a smile. "No more keeping secrets. Promise."

"Good," she said. "And don't think I won't know if you do!"

"You mean like you knew about Kingsley assigning you to the case?" he asked, moving away just in case she decided to strike again.

"Shut up," she said as she laughed.

At that moment, the man who was speaking to the group motioned for the two of them to join him and a group of four other Aurors. Hermione shook hands with each person as Lucas introduced Matthew, Rachel, Scott, and Preston. After they were all familiar with each other, Lucas began.

"Now, as you know, this is an ongoing investigation with enough evidence to link the crimes but not nearly enough to say any one suspect is promising. Therefore, we do not know at this time how long our stay in Bristol will be. If there is any reason why one of you cannot commit to this case, now is the time to say so."

The six of them responded with silence.

"Good," Lucas said. "Now that that's settled, we will be leaving the Ministry by portkey tomorrow at ten. I apologize for the short notice, but the minister felt it would not be wise to wait any longer to get a handle on this case."

Everyone nodded in agreement, Hermione looking especially sure that leaving soon was the right course of action. Taking a quick look around the group, Lucas smiled. "I'm looking forward to working with all of you. Get a good night's rest and we'll meet again soon!"

As the group turned to leave, Hermione spotted one person who had yet to leave the auditorium. The red-haired wizard sat in the back of the room fiddling with his hands nervously. Harry gave her a pointed look, and she nodded. Her impending absence demanded a conversation with Ron at the very least. When the rest of the group filed out of the room, Hermione sat in the chair in front of Ron and faced him uncertainly.

"So," she said nervously.

"You're leaving," he said.

"Yes, I am," she said.

The pair stared at anything but each other in silence for a moment before speaking at the same time.

"I'm sorry—"

They laughed, the tension finally dissolved.

"You first," Ron said.

"I really am sorry," Hermione said. "I never meant to hurt you, I swear it. It's just that, if we're being honest with ourselves, we aren't in love. I would be content to remain your girlfriend, but is that really all you want out of a relationship? Contentment? You deserve so much more than I can give you, and I really do hope you find it."

"I reckon I understand," said Ron. "It took you saying it to make me realize you were right, of course, but that's nothing unusual."

Hermione laughed and Ron smiled at her.

"I'm sorry for not saying goodbye when you left," Ron said. "I know I was a prat, but you caught me off-guard."

"You had every right to be upset!" Hermione said. Then in a softer tone, she added, "I wasn't angry with you."

Ron nodded. Hermione remembered his behavior at the beginning of the meeting. She said, "Speaking of being a prat, go easy on Harry, will you? He was only trying to help."

Ron's face suddenly turned sour as if he had just swallowed a particularly bad one of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans.

"Right. I'll try," he said with a scowl.

"What is with you two?" she asked exasperatingly. "You're supposed to be best friends!"

"Yeah, well, best friends aren't supposed to like their mate's girl either, but that's never stopped him," Ron said.

Hermione stared at Ron, not understanding the implication behind his statement. Rather, she didn't believe it.

"What are you talking about, Ron?" she asked.

"Forget about it, Hermione," he said. "You need to get back to work and so do I."

"You're right, we do," Hermione sighed. She didn't look at all like she thought he was right, but she decided to drop the subject only out of her own desire not to start another row.

"I'll see you around," Ron said. "Take care of yourself."

"You too," Hermione said.

She looked at him for a moment before finally wrapping her arms around his torso. He returned the embrace and rested his head on the top of hers for a moment before she pulled away and stared at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Goodbye, Ron."

"Goodbye, Hermione."


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: All of the characters, plots, places, and everything else Harry Potter-related belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own none of it, and I am in no way associated with the Harry Potter franchise. No copyright infringement intended.**

**A/N For anyone who actually lives in or near Bristol, I apologize in advance for any inconsistencies I might come up with. I'm doing my best to do my research before I write something, but I live in the States and have yet to visit England! Someday. :)**

Hermione woke up early the next morning. She had already packed enough clothes for at least a year and several other necessities in her extendable bag. Still, she checked everything once more. There were admittedly several things they would probably never need and even more she hoped they would never have use for during their stay in Bristol, but if there was one thing she had learned from her time at Hogwarts, one could never be too prepared. She glanced at the clock.

She was getting antsy. She wanted to be gone from London and the Ministry and all the things that still haunted her. She had tried to talk to Ginny the day before, but she wouldn't return her owl. Giving up all efforts to be polite, Hermione had even tried to apparate to the Burrow. It seemed, however, that either Ginny or Mrs. Weasley had anticipated this and set up wards to prevent apparition. Hermione had known Ginny wouldn't take the news of her leaving Ron well. She wasn't really all that surprised at her friend's behavior. Their friendship had been strained since the break up with Harry anyway. She still wished Ginny would have given her the chance to explain because once she was gone to Bristol, there would be no communication with anyone other than the Ministry. Hermione hated knowing people were mad at her.

A sharp tap on the window roused Hermione from her thoughts. She jerked her head to the right and saw the Ministry owl she had sent to the Burrow holding a letter. She quickly let her in and took the parchment from her beak.

"Thank you! Now go back to the Ministry," she said and watched as the brown owl hurried off.

She hastily unfolded the letter and was surprised to find handwriting that was definitely not Ginny's.

_Hermione,_

_I found this poor owl sitting outside the Burrow. Since she belongs to the Ministry, I can only assume you sent her. I apologize for my sister's rudeness. She really is being unreasonable, but don't let her bother you. I fully intend to slip a puking pastille in her dessert tonight. Good luck in Bristol, and give Harry my best!_

_Regards,_

_George _

Before she could stop herself, Hermione was laughing out loud. She had spent nearly all of fifth year trying to keep Fred and George from selling puking pastilles and other ridiculous items to the younger Gryffindors, with little success of course. Even without Fred, George still knew exactly how to bring out the humor in any situation. She was happy to know that he, at least, wasn't holding the break-up against her.

Hermione looked at the clock once again and decided it was time to leave. Having already told her parents goodbye before they left that morning, she hurriedly made her way out of the house and to the inconspicuous telephone booth. She wasn't particularly fond of the guest entrance, but as her parents were muggles, the floo network was not connected to their house. She descended into the Ministry and relished the emptiness of the usually crowded hallway. As she had arrived later than usual, most of the workers had already gone to their offices. She stepped into the lift and off again at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. There was no need to stop by her office because she had already given Luna everything she would need to carry out the S.P.E.W. work while she was gone and arranged for Aaron to take over her other duties. Instead, she kept walking until she reached the office of Lucas Dennison. She knocked twice and entered when the door swung open apparently on its own accord.

"Hello, Hermione," Lucas said. "You're early."

He was wearing a warm smile and gestured to the chair in front of him. Hermione took a seat and glanced at her watch. It was 9:45.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dennison," she said.

"Don't be silly, it was a compliment! And please, call me Lucas," he said.

She nodded and took a look around the room. There was a picture on his desk of a pretty blonde woman who looked to be about thirty-five, roughly the same age as Lucas, and two small children. The young boy and girl were laughing on either side of their mother.

"Is that your family?" she asked.

Lucas smiled. "Yes, that's my wife Andrea and our children Elizabeth and Mason."

"They look lovely," Hermione said, a small smile on her face. "I'm sure you are going to miss them."

"I am," Lucas agreed. He cleared his throat. "While we have a few minutes, there is something I wanted to ask you, Hermione."

She looked up, alarmed. She said. "Yes?"

He noticed her look of apprehension and quickly said, "Don't worry! I only meant to inquire about your relationship with Ronald Weasley. I was under the impression the two of you were together. Is that correct?"

"We were," Hermione said. "We aren't anymore."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Lucas said. "In that case, I have to ask. Do you think the break-up will affect your attention to this case?"

Hermione looked down at her hands, which she was wringing nervously. She should have anticipated the question.

"No, it won't," she said firmly, looking Lucas directly in the eyes. "I am perfectly capable of remaining professional."

"Good. I would expect nothing less from a fellow Gryffindor," Lucas said, flashing a smile at Hermione.

"It's nice to know I'm in good company!" Hermione said with a smile of her own.

After another moment of silence had passed between them, Lucas spoke up again.

"I have one more question for you, Hermione," he said. "How is your relationship with Harry Potter?"

Hermione's head shot up. "What has my relationship with Harry got to do with anything?"

"He and Ron are practically inseparable," Lucas said. "I only wanted to make sure there was no tension between the two of you I should know about before forcing you to work together for an extended amount of time."

"Oh," Hermione said. "Harry and I are fine. There won't be any problems between us."

"That's good to hear," Lucas smiled. "because I suspect you will be sick of each other before this is all over with!"

Hermione laughed and looked over her shoulder as the door opened behind her.

"Look who it is! We were just talking about you," Lucas said. He stood up to shake Harry's hand.

"Good things, I hope?" Harry asked as he sat down next to Hermione.

"Of course," she said, smiling at him.

"Where's your trunk?" Harry asked, looking around the room.

Hermione held up her bag and laughed at Harry's expression.

"You are unbelievable," he said. Addressing Lucas now, he pointed at Hermione. "She fit a tent in that thing once! Not to mention several books and who knows what else. She's absolutely brilliant."

Hermione blushed and Lucas raised an eyebrow at the pair before smiling. "It's a good thing she's on our team then, isn't it, Potter?"

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances and both of them laughed. At that time, the other Aurors entered the room. Lucas picked up an inconspicuous looking book on his desk.

"Here's the portkey, if we are all ready," Lucas said with a glance at the group. They all nodded and placed their hands on the book.

"On the count of three, then," he said. "One, two, three."

Hermione grabbed Harry's wrist with her free hand and squeezed her eyes shut as they all bumped into each other and shot through space. She was never a fan of most methods of wizard travel. After a few seconds that felt like hours to Hermione, they stopped with a jolt that knocked the breath out of her. Surprisingly, she and Harry had both managed to land on their feet. Preston, who had not been quite as lucky, was stumbling as he tried to stand up. The six of them surveyed their surroundings to find themselves standing on top of a hill looking over the city of Bristol. The morning sun filtered through the clouds. It was shining on the expanse of tall buildings and seemed to make the winding river glisten as they watched.

"It's brilliant," Hermione breathed.

She turned to Harry, and he looked at her with an awestruck gaze that matched her own. It was then that the pair suddenly looked down and realized Hermione was still clutching Harry's wrist. She laughed and pulled her hand away quickly.

"Sorry," she muttered, feeling a rush of heat to her face. "I guess I'm still not used to traveling by portkey."

"No worries," Harry said. He shot her a small smile before turning his attention to the other Aurors.

"Our flats are just about two miles from here," Lucas said, already walking down the hill. "I hope you don't mind the walk. The Ministry arranged for us to stay outside Bristol in a magical community called Phoenix Valley. It's a beautiful place, right along the River Avon."

Harry and Hermione had fallen to the back of the group as they descended into a wooded area. _Why on earth do I keep blushing? _Hermione thought to herself. _It's only Harry, for Godric's sake. _In an effort to dismiss the incident, Hermione focused her attention on not falling. The hill was very rocky and rather steep in some places. After catching her foot on a loose rock, she slipped and would have fallen if it hadn't been for a small tree whose branches she was able to grab just in time. She steadied herself and sighed frustratingly. Looking around to see if anyone noticed, she saw Harry standing a few feet in front of her doing his best to contain what was sure to be a fit of laughter.

"Do you need help?" he asked, unable to stop a grin from spreading across his face.

"No," Hermione snapped. "I'm doing perfectly fine. It must have rained earlier because that rock was wet. "

As she said that, however, she slipped on another rock and didn't have the luxury of the tree to grab onto. She slid at least a foot down the hill and landed with a thud. Looking up from the ground, she glared at Harry, who was now chuckling and staring at her with his arms crossed. She sighed and started laughing herself.

"Maybe I could use a hand," she admitted.

Harry extended his hand and laughed as she stood and linked her arm with his. He said, "Hold on to my arm, and I won't let you fall."

Hermione tightened her grip and didn't let go of him until they reached the bottom of the hill. After approximately another mile of walking, the group entered a quaint village. Hermione's gaze wandered from the worn sign that read _Phoenix Valley _to the rows of small shops in front of her. She thought it sort of resembled Diagon Alley. However, it was a lot quieter than the bustling streets hidden in muggle London. Everything looked a little older, although not in a bad way, and the people were milling about slowly. It was charming.

"Oh, no," Harry mumbled.

Hermione turned to look at him quickly. She asked, "What is it, Harry?"

He pointed to a shop on the left, and Hermione's face broke into a grin. _Maggie's Magical Library._

"You do know we are here for work, right?" Harry asked. Even though his tone was serious, his mouth was turned up in a half-smile.

Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. "You never know," she said. "Maggie might have just the book to help us solve this thing!"

Harry laughed and shook his head. "After seven years of your brilliant ideas saving my life, who am I to argue with your obsessive reading habits?"

She grinned. "I didn't do anything, really. If you had only realized the value of books while we were still in Hogwarts, you wouldn't have needed me to save your life. Seriously, Harry, you never even opened Hogwarts: A History, did you?"

She gave him an exasperated look as he smirked and shook his head. Harry and Hermione stopped walking as they caught up to the other Aurors. Lucas pointed to the building in front of them. "This is where we will be staying."

It was a weathered, white one-story building with lines of ivy tracing the sides all the way up to the green tin roof. The entrance in the middle opened up to a small courtyard surrounded by four flats. The sign on the iron gate read _Feather Flats._

Lucas pulled three sets of keys out of his pocket. "Preston and Harry, you take number 1. Rachel and Hermione, you're in 3. Matthew and Scott, you'll be sharing 2 with me. Don't worry, there are three bedrooms."

Scott breathed a sigh of relief which he quickly tried to cover up with a cough. Matthew shook his head and laughed.

"So," Lucas continued. "You lot can take the day to settle in and have a look around the village. I've got a few things to get in order for tomorrow."

With that, everyone went to their respective flats. Hermione followed Rachel through the wooden door labeled 3.

"I wonder who's in 4," Hermione thought aloud.

"Probably the owner," Rachel shrugged.

Hermione placed her bag on the full size bed in the back room and took a look around the flat. There was a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a sitting area. It resembled the suite-style muggle hotel she stayed at when her family spent the summer holidays in France.

"What are you going to do for the rest of the afternoon?" Rachel asked as she entered the living room.

"Well, there was a library Harry pointed out on the way here. I think I'll stop by and see what kinds of books it has. What about you?"

"I think Preston and I are going to go for a walk and explore the village a little," Rachel said. "I noticed a café just down the road from here. Would you and Harry like to join us there for lunch in a couple of hours?"

"That would be lovely!" Hermione smiled. "Should we invite Matthew and Scott?"

"No," Rachel laughed. "Trust me; they won't be out looking around the village. For a couple of Aurors, they sleep more than anyone I've ever met! We'll be lucky if they're awake in time for dinner."

Hermione laughed. "They sound like Ron and Harry back at Hogwarts. They were practically worthless the day after a quidditch match!"

"I believe it," Rachel said.

There was a knock on the door and Hermione opened it to reveal Preston and Harry. Preston looked to Rachel, "Are you ready?"

She nodded and walked past Hermione and Harry. "I'll see you two at one?"

Hermione nodded and waved goodbye as they left. Harry raised an eyebrow. "What's at one?"

"I told her we would meet them at the café for lunch. I hope that's alright," Hermione said.

"Sounds great," Harry said.

Hermione let Harry in and walked back to her bag. "Just let me grab my purse," she said, her arm stuck so far into the bag only her shoulder was visible. Within seconds, she extracted a small, brown over-the-shoulder purse and turned around.

"Do I even need to ask where we're going?" Harry asked.

"Well, I would like to have a look around that library," Hermione said. "But you don't have to come. I know it doesn't really interest you."

"I've got nothing better to do," Harry shrugged. "Besides, I wouldn't really feel good about leaving you alone with someone firing off unforgivable curses so nearby."

Hermione smiled. "Harry, that's sweet, but I can take care of myself. Really, you can do whatever you want."

Harry sighed. "I know you can take care of yourself, Hermione. I would rather spend the day with you than wander around the village alone. Unless you don't want me to go with you?"

"Oh no, that's not it at all!" she said. "I just don't want you to feel obligated to stay with me."

Harry opened the door and held it for her. "No obligations here," he smiled. "After you."

Despite her initial reservations about boring Harry, Hermione managed to spend the entire two hours scanning the shelves of _Maggie's Magical Library_ and flipping through each book she found either relevant to the case or simply interesting. After about fifteen minutes, Harry had discovered a section equivalent to muggle comic books and settled at a table in the back with a stack of them. Hermione paid no attention to his exaggerated sighs that seemed to be increasing in frequency. Instead, she only resurfaced from _Muggle Discrimination in the Nineteenth Century_ when it inexplicably floated out of her hands and began to levitate away from her.

"Harry!" she cried. "Stop that!"

He laughed. "I've said your name five times, Hermione. It's time to meet Rachel and Preston for lunch."

"Oh," she said, slightly embarrassed by her inattention. "Then give me the book and I'll check it out to read later. I think there might be some useful information."

With a flick of his wand, Harry let the book fall right into Hermione's hands. After he managed to drag Hermione away from a lengthy discussion with the librarian who turned out to be Maggie herself, they made their way back through the winding streets to the café where Rachel and Preston were waiting. The four of them enjoyed a nice lunch in which Hermione discovered Rachel and Preston were both former Hogwarts students as well. They had been in their fifth year when Harry and Hermione started and graduated before the worst of the chaos at Hogwarts began.

"We've heard all of the stories, though," Rachel said. "and we saw everything that happened from the Ministry's side. You two were very brave. It's not hard to see why you were in Gryffindor!"

Hermione smiled and looked at Harry. "It was really all him. I was mostly in the right place at the right time. Harry was brilliant."

Harry laughed and looked back to Rachel. "She's very modest. I can't even count the times I would have died without her genius, and sometimes absolutely mad, ideas!"

Hermione shook her head but decided not to press the issue. Instead she looked back to Rachel and Preston. "What houses were you in?"

"I was in Slytherin," Preston said. "Rachel was in Ravenclaw."

"I bet that was a scandal," Harry mumbled.

Hermione hit him on the arm and exclaimed, "Harry!"

"What?" he asked, bewildered by Hermione's assault, which caused her to stare at him in disbelief.

The other two, however, started to laugh. Preston explained, "Prejudices weren't quite as bad between houses in our time at Hogwarts."

Rachel nodded. "I believe the Slytherins became much more hostile when the children of the Death Eaters arrived."

Preston smiled at her. "We were all gentlemen in my day, isn't that right?"

Rachel rolled her eyes and looked back to Hermione. "They may not have been hostile, but they've always been arrogant."

Hermione and Harry laughed as Preston pretended to be offended by her comment. After that, the four of them finished their sandwiches and left the café.

"We're going to go back to the flats. Are you two coming?" Rachel asked.

Hermione started to say yes, but Harry said, "Actually, I was going to see if you might want to walk down to the river, Hermione?"

"Sure," she said. "That would be nice."

"Okay," Rachel said. "We'll catch up later!"

Rachel and Preston walked away and Hermione followed Harry in the opposite direction. They strolled past the small shops and through a little neighborhood. The further they walked, the more overgrown the cobblestone streets became. Eventually, the grass took over and gave way to a worn path.

"It's lovely, isn't it?" Hermione asked.

"What?" Harry said.

"The village," Hermione said. "It's a beautiful little place."

"Oh yes, lovely," Harry nodded.

Hermione stared at him. She could tell there was something else on his mind. However the River Avon came into view just as she was about to ask. The two of them walked to the edge and stared across the expanse of glistening water rushing by them. Hermione was thinking that it was one of the most amazing things she had ever seen. The river was surrounded by aged and weather-worn trees. She leaned down and picked up a smooth stone from the water and ran her fingers across the smooth surface before throwing it back in. The river was visible for about half a mile in each direction where it wrapped around the bend. She breathed, "Wow."

"Frightening, isn't it?" Harry said.

Hermione turned to face him. She asked, "What do you mean, Harry?"

"Water," he said. "It's so unforgiving."

Hermione stared at him uncomprehendingly. "I don't understand."

Harry pointed across the river. "Those trees have stood right there along the bank for centuries."

Hermione followed his finger and nodded as she gazed at the old trees whose deep, thick roots were exposed along the bank. She looked back at Harry and saw that he had moved his finger in the direction of a fallen tree halfway submerged in the water.

He said, "That tree was just as strong, just as sturdy, but that didn't keep it from being uprooted when the river flooded."

Hermione thought about his words. Even the strongest bond could be broken over time or if the storm was big enough. She suddenly had an idea of what his strange mood might be about. She walked back to him and took his hand in hers.

"You're thinking about Hogwarts, aren't you?" she asked.

Harry looked at their entwined hands and nodded. He said, "How did we all get so off-course? I mean, Ron, Ginny…"

She sighed as his voice trailed off. She knew exactly what he meant. The four of them were supposed to be taking on the world together. Ron, especially, was supposed to be with them no matter what. That's how it had always been. Now their relationships were complicated at best.

"We grew up," Hermione said simply. "People make decisions, and sometimes those decisions don't bring them together."

Harry looked at Hermione and she met his stare. He laughed lightly and said, "Sometimes I forget how smart you are."

She grinned. "You're pretty smart too, you know."

"Whatever you say," he said.

Hermione sighed and let her head rest on his shoulder. "Even if I can analyze the situation, it doesn't make it any better. It's still hard to imagine Ron and Ginny aren't here."

"Yeah," Harry said.

The two of them stared across the river in comfortable silence for a few moments. Finally, Harry said, "Thank you."

"For what?" Hermione asked.

"For not leaving," Harry said. "You've always stood by me. Even when everyone else, including Ron, left, you stuck around. I'll never be able to repay you for that."

"You've got nothing to thank me for," Hermione said. "But if you really want to repay me, then don't ever change. I couldn't bear it if I lost you too."

Harry pulled his free arm around to wrap her in a hug. "You won't."


End file.
